


Choosing a Princess

by shinamatsuoka



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, F/M, Fluff, The Selection AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-18
Updated: 2019-12-18
Packaged: 2021-02-26 07:35:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21846025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinamatsuoka/pseuds/shinamatsuoka
Summary: When the heir of the kingdom of Berk is not betrothed by the time he or she is of age, a Selection is held in search of the heir's future partner. Astrid Hofferson wasn't exactly ecstatic to be a possible potential wife for the future king, but when sparks begin flying, she starts to think otherwise. (cross posted in ff.net)
Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Astrid Hofferson, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Stoick the Vast/Valka
Comments: 3
Kudos: 15





	Choosing a Princess

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is unedited.

_In the kingdom of Berk, we find_

_a young prince in strife._

_Twenty maidens before him,_

_One to be his wife._

* * *

The sun gleamed above the kingdom, its rays sending beams of light to every surface it touched. Around it, a bright, blue sky with a scattering of clouds that signaled that not a drop of rain would fall anytime soon. Based on the soft way the leaves on the trees by the road had gently swayed, a light breeze had come to cool an otherwise hot day.

A rare beautiful day in this kingdom where the weather was as fickle as its people.

It was the perfect day for a ride.

"Astrid, do act more excited," my mother spoke, taking my attention away from what was outside the car window.

Sighing, I turned to face her. "That's easier said than done."

Mother shook her head, a mixture of confusion and toleration of my words and behavior graced her delicate features. It was a look I was all too familiar with.

Make no mistake, despite her appearance, my mother was a very strong woman, strong in will, in mind, and in conviction. In short, she was stubborn. And everything I had just mentioned about my mother's personality, I had, in turn, also inherited from her. Meaning, I could also be stubborn. But despite how stubborn I can be, there was no way out of what was about to happen. And if there was, I hadn't figured it out.

It _was_ the perfect day for a ride.

I'm pretty sure Nadder, my horse, agreed.

A car ride heading straight to Haddock Palace wearing a gown wasn't what I had in mind when I woke up today, but I knew it was coming.

The whole kingdom of Berk knew it was coming.

The Selection.

"It's a great opportunity. Why not at least try to partake in it?"

"Mom, lining up in front of the prince to see if I'm his type doesn't exactly sound exciting."

She huffed. "Well, when you put it like that, no it doesn't."

I was oversimplifying it, but it was basically how I described.

It was kingdom tradition. When the heir of the royal family of Berk comes of age, and if they are not betrothed to another royal by then, the royal family would host a Selection, a competition, of sorts, where his or her royal highness would choose someone in the kingdom to be their partner. In this case, be the prince's wife, the next queen of Berk.

When the time came for a Selection, they would hold a ball in the palace, where prospects from all over the kingdom flock to the palace, and based on first impressions alone, the twenty who will actually participate in the Selection will be chosen and announced within a couple of days following the ball. The twenty will then live in the palace, have numerous outings with the prince and "tests" to see if they were _royal ready_ until twenty boils down to one.

To a lot of people, it was the event of the generation. I was having a hard time thinking of it that way.

It's not like I have anything against the royal family. They're amazing. Just, compassionate, kind, and when they need to be, they weren't. And the Selection had worked wonders for King Stoick and Queen Valka. Anyone could see how much love the two had for one another. However, being a prospect for marriage at 21, when I haven't even finished my college degree, wasn't as pleasing to me as it was to my mother, which I hadn't at all anticipated since she was a distinguished lawyer. Which also explained why I never seemed to win an argument against her, despite studying law myself.

While my father's a professional athlete and my mother is in law, I'd opted to double major in both athletic training and law and despite the challenges of having two majors, I've done pretty well so far in my college career, if I do say so myself. I was content.

"At least try to have fun. You'll most likely see a few familiar faces."

I will, that's for sure. Maybe I'd run into a few friends, and they'd help me do the best I can to avoid royal attention.

Don't get me wrong, the prince sounded like a great young man. Intelligent and kind, from what I had heard, and it's not like I wouldn't want that in a partner, but, like any celebrity, we only knew them from afar. And from what I had gathered, most people are competing for the crown, not his heart.

I felt kind of sorry for the guy in that regard.

The car had begun to slow down as we had joined a line of cars that were waiting to drive through the large silver gates that shielded the palace from the forest surrounding it.

Haddock Palace was built just a hundred years ago, after old Berk Castle had burnt down during the war against the Outcasts. High upon the hill overlooking Berk Square, the white stone walls glistened under the sun, and the roof was a copper slate. Being fairly new, it looked more modern than most palaces, more similar to a modern mansion than to a castle. Almost as large as twenty homes combined into one, the royal family had a good number of Berkians who worked within the palace walls to help with their daily tasks and in keeping their large home in order.

Sliding stray strands of blonde hair back behind my ear, I ready myself for what was about to happen.

I just wanted it over with.

As we had made it past the gates and our car had finally arrived in front of the large courtyard in front of the palace proper, a man opened the car door and held a hand to help my mother out of the vehicle. Before his hand could appear again to help me, I had already slid out through the same door my mother had exited. Once on my feet, I looked at the slightly shorter man. "Thank you, but I got it."

My mother nudged me. "You should have waited."

"I have fully working limbs, mother."

She made a noise of slight aggravation.

I chose to ignore that and assess my surroundings. All throughout the courtyard, I see numerous women in an array of colorful gowns, some more muted than others, all varying in length and style. I looked down on my royal blue dress. It was a simple, modified A-line gown that had a fitted bodice that gradually flowed down to an A-line from the waist. No extra embroidery, no big ribbon on my waist. It was just how I'd liked it.

Needless to say that the women all over the courtyard all looked beautiful. Who knows, maybe this would work out for his princeliness like it did his parents.

As I continued looking around, I spotted a familiar face. "Ruffnut?"

Said woman faced me, hearing my voice. She grinned and waved. "Heya, Astrid!"

I walked towards her, glad to see a familiar face so quickly, but also, obviously, confused. "I didn't think you'd come to this thing."

"I didn't think you'd be here either," she laughed in that gruff way she did. "I'm just here to scope out the bodyguards."

I raised a brow. "Not for the prince."

"Nah, twinks aren't my type, but I did see his head bodyguard on TV once and _damn_."

"I wouldn't call him a twink."

"He's a twink by my standards, As'. I like my men looking like they can break-"

I stop her right there. "Okay, too much information."

She shrugged. "You asked."

"As a matter of fact, I didn't."

"Anyways, catch you later, As'. I'm on a bodyguard hunt." With that, she walked away.

A strange one, she was, but it was never a dull moment when she or her brother were around.

* * *

After a few minutes saying hello to people either my mother or I knew in the courtyard, the front doors of the palace had finally opened and we were all ushered into the large foyer. Polished marble floors were glimmering, reflecting the light from the large white and gold chandelier above our heads. Matching the marble floors were the large pillars that held the ceiling up, making sure the space was large enough before the walls and arched doorways leading to other parts of the palace. At the very front of the space was a large staircase with a plush red carpet that lead to the upper rooms of the palace, it's railings also polished to perfection.

By the walls were refreshments, a diverse collection of finger food, fountains of drinks and snacks on top of dark, wood tables. Just close enough to these tables were round tables with seats where people could sit down and enjoy the food that was to be served later that evening.

Really the entire space could fit my entire house.

I felt a pinch on my arm. "Ow!"

"Wake up, dear," my mother broke me out of my inspection of the room. "The royals could come out in any minute."

I rubbed my arm absentmindedly, and before I could retort, a man had appeared at the top of the staircase, making the room quiet down as soon as he appeared.

Clearing his throat, the large, blonde man announced, "May I introduce their royal majesties, King Stoick and Queen Valka."

He stepped aside as the room burst into applause and cheer.

Appearing from the side, the two stopped where the blonde man had announced them. They looked happy as they smiled and waved at everyone.

King Stoick let his hand linger up, signaling the cheers to end. With a lingering look at his wife, he addressed the room. "Good evening, everyone. My wife and I appreciate all of you for attending such an exciting night." His voice was a booming, loud voice that demanded attention despite his jovial tone. It exuded authority no matter what he did. "Tonight is a night of celebration. My son is now of age and will be embarking into something I had experienced when I was his age. It was the night I had met this beautiful woman beside me."

His eyes didn't hide the adoration he had for the queen. She met his with the same depth of emotion. Just the way they looked at each other made me feel like I was intruding on something. The love they had for one another was something no one could ever doubt

"I hope my son's Selection would be as successful as mine was and that he finds someone he could truly love. But I am getting ahead of myself." He chuckled. "Please welcome, my son, Prince Hiccup!"

The cheers erupted again as the prince finally enters. His hair was a dark brown, clearly from his mother, and he walked in the same way his father was. But I could sense some trepidation in his step. The man was nervous. I couldn't blame him, though. I'd be to if I knew I was going to inevitably end up married to someone in the room and have the whole ordeal televised to some extent.

"Uh, yes." He started. "Clearly, I'm a little nervous for all of this." This admission brought some chuckles in the audience. "But I'm looking forward to what comes next."

His eyes flitted from one person to another, making sure to look at the people in front of him, as a public speaker should. But even in this room filled with hundreds of people, why, for a second, did I think that his vivid green eyes meet mine?

* * *

It's been two hours, and I've made sure to hide from my mother the entire time. She's pestered me for the first few minutes since the ball had officially begun, so I told her I needed to use the restroom and have been hiding out in the gardens by the courtyard since. There were a few people in the courtyard, mostly parents of daughters, hanging around and speaking to each other. I stood in between the garden hedges that formed a small maze and was certain mother wouldn't be able to find me here until the night was over. Grabbing my phone, which was the only thing in my tiny blue purse, I began looking through my camera roll of class notes. Might as well do something productive while I'm hiding out.

I was leaning on a tall hedge when I felt my heel slip and I lose my balance for a moment, momentarily losing my balance. The whole thing made me drop my phone, and it somehow bounced and ended up in the hedge itself.

"Shit!"

I bent down to take my shoes off, thinking they've done enough damage and turned and crouched down in search of my phone.

"Are you okay, miss? I heard you yelling." A man's voice broke the quiet.

I didn't look up, still in search of my phone. "I'm fine. Just a shoe incident that's now a phone incident."

I could almost hear his confusion in the silence. "Oh," he said, simply. I could hear him come closer. "Need any help?"

"No, I've got it," I said, finally finding the damn device and reaching for it. "Thanks, though."

He was quiet. I assumed he nodded before speaking again. "What are you doing hiding out here?"

I let out an amused breath. "That obvious?"

"Kind of."

I grabbed my phone. "The only reason I came was because of my mother's insistence. I don't exactly see myself walking around to garner the prince's atten-"

Just as I turn to finally look up at the man I've been speaking with, I cut my sentence short when I realized I was, in fact, talking to a certain prince I was supposed to make an impression on.

He gave me a nervous smile. "Uh, hi." He waved.

I leaned my forehead on the hedge as I shut my eyes and opened them again before finally and straightening myself up. "Hi," I replied, dumbly. This night was definitely not ever going to go my way. "I hope I didn't offend you."

He raised his hands, showing me his palms. "No offense taken. You're maybe the first person who's been honest this entire evening."

I made a face. "That bad?"

He shrugged, and gave me another amused smile. "Eh, I wouldn't call it bad, but hey, I didn't exactly sign up for this either."

"Can't break tradition?"

"Not even if I tried." He sighed. "Oh, I'm being rude. I'm Hiccup Haddock." He offers me a hand.

I raise an incredulous brow at him. "I know who you are. And am I not supposed to address as his highness?"

He grinned sheepishly. "That would just make this even more awkward."

"I guess."

This time he raised a brow. "Uh, are you just going to leave me hanging?"

"Am I allowed to shake your hand?"

"Seeing as my now almost cramping hand is still up, I don't see the issue with shaking it."

I can already tell this guy loved his sarcasm.

I relented and placed my hand in his, shaking it. "I'm Astrid Hofferson."

"Nice to meet you."

I place my phone back in my tiny purse and look back at the prince. "So what are you doing out here in the garden? Hiding out, too?"

He chuckles sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his neck, his shoulders doing some weird jump thing. "I needed a break."

"I could imagine. Talked to everyone yet?"

He sighed, his hand going back to his side as he looked down. "Not even close. I don't know how my dad even managed to pick twenty out of so many people."

"You're going to have to ask him his ways."

"I tried, but all he said was," he paused, taking in a deep breath. When he spoke again, he imitated his father, "You will know when you get there, son."

A short laugh erupted from the back of my throat as I tried to suppress it. "That didn't help, did it?"

"Nope."

I bent down to put my shoes back on. "Any luck at all?"

"Eh, a bit, maybe. I don't know." I notice the movement in his shoulders again.

Standing back up, I stretched a bit. "Must be tough, Mr. Prince."

"Quite tough being pampered all the time." There's that sarcasm. Maybe he wasn't so bad. "I've seen a lot of familiar faces. Mostly from past balls, so it's a little weird this time around."

"I'd imagine."

"This your first ball?"

"Recently, yes. I'd been to some maybe when I was a kid, but not since I was ten."

Without words, we both started walking. "Why come to this one?"

"My mother, remember?"

"So you're not at all interested in the whole Selection thing?"

"What's with the Twenty Questions?"

"You're allowed to ask a bunch of things, and I'm not?" He joked.

Letting out an amused breath, I shook my head.

"What? I'm curious."

We were walking by the large fountain by now, exiting the small maze of hedges. "Curiosity killed that cat."

"Obviously not, since my cat, Toothless, is still breaking things."

I look at him in amusement. "You named your cat Toothless?"

He shrugged. "Yeah."

"And is he?"

"Is he what?"

"Toothless?"

He laughed. "No. No, I thought he was when he found him but a quick bite on my hand quickly told me otherwise."

The prince seemed to be waiting for a response from me then I quickly recall his previous question. "Okay, no, I'm not very interested in the whole Selection thing," I said. "No offense."

"None taken." He seemed to be enjoying our back and forth. While we spoke, I also noticed that his shoulders were doing that thing again.

"Can I say something?"

"Hm?" He gave me a questioning look. "You've said plenty of things."

I rolled my eyes. "Very funny." I pause. "You know you do that shoulder shaking thing a lot, right?"

He stopped and looked a little embarrassed. "Haha, yeah. Force of habit. I hated having to sit still as a kid, but I had to do a lot of it, so I moved my shoulders a lot to have some sort of movement."

I smile. "Who would have thought the prince was an awkward, shoulder shaking young man."

"I just love to break people's fantasies about me."

Before I could reply, a tall, muscular man with dark hair appeared before us, making us stop. "Prince Hiccup, your father has been looking for you."

"Oh, uh, thanks, Eret." The prince sighed and looked at me. "It was great meeting you, Ms. Hofferson. But, duty calls."

"Enjoy choosing twenty potential wives, your princeliness," I said as I bow.

He smiled at me. "Enjoy retrieving phones from hedges, Ms. Hofferson."

Laughing, I shook my head. "I will."

He turned and followed the man named Eret back inside the palace, not before turning one last time to look back at me with a small wave. Before I could even think, I waved back.

The prince was actually a pretty good guy. Awkward, but good.

Too bad that's the last I'll see of him most likely.

The realization made an almost regretful smile appear on my lips as I turned and faced the gardens once more.

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! I'm excited for what's to come. I wrote this first back in 2014-ish and my writing back then... let's just say was subpar. But it's progress! I'm sure looking back after a few years, I'd maybe think the same thing of this one.
> 
> Anyway, review away!
> 
> Also Happy Holidays!


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